Long Beach, Calif., Names an Acting Technology Director

Meredith Reynolds, a longtime city executive, has been named acting director of the Technology and Innovation Department (TID) in Long Beach, Calif., as the city launches a national search to permanently fill the position by fall.

Reynolds will continue to serve simultaneously as deputy city manager, a position she has had for nearly five years. She has already played a leading role in advancing technology initiatives, according to the city, including expanding digital services, modernizing the permitting process, and widening the use of data tools to improve service delivery and transparency.

“My focus will be to empower this creative and committed team to deliver on key priorities that support our departments and ensure our technology underpins every team’s ability to serve our community effectively,” Reynolds said in a statement.

Reynolds will step in April 4 following the previously announced departure of Lea Eriksen, who has been TID director since 2018. Eriksen’s final day with the city will be April 3. She will join Culver City as its senior assistant city manager.

Reynolds, a 17-year veteran with Long Beach, has been focused on growing the city’s long-term sustainability and modernization with projects like the Long Beach Co-Lab and Pitch Long Beach!. She also led the development of the Long Beach Recovery Act Data Dashboard and the Climate Data Portal, according to the city. The Center for Digital Government* highlighted the former in November 2022, when awarding Long Beach first place in its population category in the annual Digital Cities Survey.

"Meredith brings a strong track record of leadership, innovation and cross-departmental collaboration that will continue to advance Long Beach’s work to deliver modern, efficient and accessible services to our communities,” City Manager Tom Modica said in a statement. “Her experience leading complex initiatives and leveraging technology to bolster equity and transparency makes her exceptionally well-suited for this role.”

Reynolds has a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from California State University, Chico.

*The Center for Digital Government is a division of e.Republic, Government Technology’s parent company.